Guardian Farming - April 2017

Farming GUARDIAN

APRIL 2017

SHOW ME THE

HONEY Page 3 - 5

House of Hearing

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EDITORIAL COMMENT

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I’ve taken a liking to Dr Lucy Hone’s advice, which pops up every Sunday on a rival media organisation’s website.

She was talking recently about how to raise kids with grit that would go on to be good employees; people who would show up on time, work diligently, stick to tough tasks, be respectful and able to handle criticism.

She had been hosting a visiting US expert who said employers were looking for new ways to identify candidates that have a strong work ethic and capacity for teamwork.

They were taking note when a candidate said they had been a swimmer, rower or farmer – people who could get up in the morning, get on with others, overcome

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Close eye needed on hive health Linda Clarke

Varroa control remains the biggest issue for Mid Canterbury bee keepers.

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The Ministry of Primary Industries should be more concerned about chemical residue build-up in beehives because of varroa control and the use of agricultural chemicals on farms, says Ashburton beekeeper Roger Bray.

Time and money spent on a recent national bee colony loss survey provided little useful information, he said, and the effort would have been better spent on monitoring hives for chemical residue to protect New Zealand’s niche market for premium honey.

The survey concluded beekeepers lost 10 per cent of their hives to extreme temperatures, starvation, queen problems and wasps – but Bray said most commercial beekeepers wouldn’t blink an

eye about those minimal losses as hives were easily and quickly rebuilt as bees had a short lifespan.

Bray says predictions of the demise of bees had been exaggerated by people with little knowledge of practical, sustainable beekeeping.

The industry would have been better served by investigating long-term hive issues and other practical methods of controlling varroa, which remained the number one problem.

Controlling the varroa mite is expensive and time-consuming and hives are treated at least twice a year.

The mite causes deformities in bees and if mite numbers are not checked and controlled, an invasion will kill off colonies.

The mite has also affected queen activity.

Where hives were once requeened every two years, this is now happening every year.

Bray said chemical residue monitoring would provide valuable information on hive health and bees with health issues might be able to be tracked to a particular chemical.

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Farming

from P3 The data could be collected from testing brood comb wax within beehives.

“We should monitor the long term effects of chemicals used by farmers and beekeepers in order we remain a respected producer of quality food free from chemical contamination.

Without data we do not have information that will assist our future decisions. It is potentially far more important for the beekeeping industry to know if there is likely to be issues with chemical contamination of bee products than to establish how many hives died over the winter period - especially when these losses can be replenished relatively easily.”

In Canada hives were once deliberately killed off in autumn and new hives were bought in the following spring as an alternative to wintering bees in harsh conditions.

New colonies were bought each year from California and Texas where beekeepers made a business of breeding bees for sale.

“Multiplication of livestock can be a slow process in larger mammals however bees have a very short lifespan and can be multiplied very quickly by

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beekeepers if the need arises.”

Bray said another issue affecting hive survival on the plains was the lack of pollen due to the removal of plants like gorse and broom.

This meant beekeepers had to manage bee numbers against their expected workload when hives were placed in or near crops for pollination purposes.

He said that years ago, beekeepers’ sole income stream was from honey production; then paid pollination became a focus.

“Beekeeping is here to stay in Mid Canterbury as long as there is a need for specialised pollination of crops. Farmers use their land to grow profitable crops and if the margins are squeezed

“

crops dependent on bees will continue to be grown without the interdependence there may be little need for Mid Canterbury to maintain as

damaged.

“There is more of a mutual respect. Twenty years ago when we started off on the vegetable seed, we were just the

We should monitor the long term effects of chemicals used by farmers and beekeepers in order we remain a respected producer of quality food free from chemical contamination

then farmers will be forced to change their focus.

There are continual cycles where the farming of animals or crops change simply because the profit ratios change.

“Perhaps there is a need to assess if the specialised

many colonies as they currently do.”

Bray said farmers had learned a lot about bees in the past 20 years and now timed chemical applications around bee activity so the important pollinators would not be

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guys with the white boxes in the corner of the paddock.

We are no longer seeing spray damage, we are now the guys they pay when they want pollination.

There has been a big raising of awareness because farmers

know the importance of bees.”

The bee colony loss survey reported also noted wasps and theft were issues for beekeepers.

Bray said hive theft was not common in Mid Canterbury, but beekeepers did sometimes have issues with wasps in the foothills. Apiculture New Zealand chief executive Karin Kos said the New Zealand Colony Loss and Survival Survey was an important tool in monitoring the health of honey bees, which are the lifeblood of New Zealand’s primary sector.

“Not only does the honey bee provide us with a great source of natural food, it also plays a critical role as a commercial pollinator in our agriculture

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and horticulture sectors.

For these reasons, it makes good sense to monitor honey bee health and any threats to them, and Apiculture New Zealand is pleased to see industry members support and take part in the survey.”

She said New Zealand’s history of good beekeeping practice, along with this country’s strict pest management regime and good biosecurity, had helped contribute to a thriving beekeeping industry.

“There is no room for complacency though, as our industry rapidly grows in size and value, our ongoing challenge will be ensuring growth is managed sustainably,

and our honey bee colonies remain healthy.”

Increasing costs controlling varroa and other production expenses have been offset in the last few years by good prices, up to $10 a kilogram, for New Zealand honey on the world market.

It has also driven a quest for gold with more beekeepers and hives in the industry.

In 2000, when varroa was introduced, there were 4956 registered beekeepers and 320,113 beehives.

There was a period when beehives and the number of beekeepers declined slightly as a result of varroa but the industry has recovered and grown. There are now 6735

5

beekeepers and 684,046 beehives. Export revenue for New Zealand pure honey was a record $315 million for the year ended June 30 last year, up 35 per cent on the previous year.

The increase reflected value per kg rather than increased volume though New Zealand produced a record honey crop of 19,885 tonnes during that period.

Kos said hive numbers had continued to grow this year, though challenging weather conditions had affected the honey crop.

In Mid Canterbury, the good prices for honey are a bonus, with bees used more for pollination of farming crops.

Bray said the honey harvest

was average this season though because of the weather.

New Zealand honey is valued overseas as a natural product, containing no antibiotics and not genetically modified.

The demand for export honey has also increased the price of domestic honey and Bray said it was sad honey had become a luxury item for many New Zealanders, but it was an export market paying dividends.

“I don’t think New Zealand has to feed the world, it is in our interest to feed the rich.”

Retired Mid Canterbury beekeeper Len Hunt has been keeping an interested eye on honey prices and other challenges in the industry.

While the world price for honey has risen, so have beekeeping costs – including the cost of dealing with the invasive varroa mite.

“The most I ever got was $3.40 a kg, now they’re getting $8-10 a kg.”

Hunt said there was also less pollen about on the Canterbury Plains because of the removal of gorse hedges and trees like gums and wattles for dairying, so beekeepers were spending more money on supplements for their bees.

“Because of dairying there is less pollen, and that is the lifeblood of bees.”

The industry had cycled back to the stage where honey was more valuable than hiring out hives for pollination, he said.

Hunt, a beekeeper for 53 years, said artificial pollination might be advancing but bees were still the most efficient way for crops to be pollinated.

He said farmers years ago tried to supplement bees at pollination by using blowflies they attracted with offal.

“But it didn’t really work and it was smelly.”

The only way he could see a future where bees were not needed for pollination was if crops were genetically engineered to reproduce without it.

Farming

2 6

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Precision agriculture - farming

By Linda Clarke Methven farmer Craige Mackenzie will be rubbing shoulders with some of the most influential food producers in the world following his appointment to the board of the Global Farmer Network.

Mackenzie, a farmer who uses precision agriculture technology, is the first New Zealander to join the board. He said he hoped precision agriculture would soon just be referred to as agriculture as the majority of farmers were already using some form of technology to farm smarter.

On his farm, Greenvale Pastures, he uses technology to monitor things like soil moisture so irrigation water can be applied only when and where it is needed and he maps soil profiles to ensure inputs like fertiliser are applied only in the amounts needed. He has also started using a drone to help gather further information about the property.

Greenvale Pastures is an intensive irrigated cropping operation growing specialty seed crops, wheat and ryegrass.

It also includes a dairy farm milking 1050 cows. Mackenzie has an open invitation for anyone wanting to know more about the technology to visit.

Craige Mackenzie says more farmers are joining the smart agriculture wave by using technology to measure and monitor farm processes.

PHOTO LINDA CLARKE 280317-LC-020

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smarter He says technology to support farmers’ decision-making has now become affordable and the challenge is to use it and then make use of the data that is gathered.

Mackenzie is one of four international directors appointed to the Global Farmer Network and says it is a great opportunity for New Zealand farming.

“It is really good for us to be seen as a country at that level and rub shoulders with a group that is not political, but certainly well connected.”

Mackenzie’s appointment reflects the network’s new push to make sure the farmers’ good stories are told widely and to make sure farmers were involved in discussions about food security worldwide.

Board chairman Bill Horan said the four new farmer directors were recognised as strong leaders in their own countries. The other farmers come from Argentina, Canada and India.

“Adding farmer leaders from around the world to our board will help us more actively keep our fingers on the pulse of the issues that impact agriculture. We’ve identified these farmers as people who are already engaged globally in moving agriculture forward by speaking up to affect change.”

Mackenzie said the Global Farmer Network also included farmers from developing countries. “It is very humbling to hear their stories. You realise how lucky you are.”

In farming circles, Mackenzie’s passion for smart ag is well known. He frequently hosts agricultural leaders from around the world as well as Kiwi farmer and environmentalists who want to know how his variable rate irrigation system works or what his drone sees.

He says new environmental laws are

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acting as a stick for some, but there is more desire from others to use the technology to farm smarter.

He hopes that in 20 years farmers will be using current technology to its potential and the challenge for the industry will be helping those in the field to manage the data they will be collecting.

“You will never replace a farmer in the field making day-to-day decisions.

These are tools to support that decision-making.”

Mackenzie has been embracing technology for a decade, watching it develop to a commercial scale. In 2008, good quality drones with camera were simply just too expensive to buy; the drone he bought for Greenvale recently cost just $3000.

He says capturing data using drone technology was smart, and fun.

As a leading proponent of precision agriculture, Mackenzie has many visitors. He is proud to show them the hard data that farming this way is good for the environment.

He and wife Roz recently hosted a delegation from the Chinese consulate in Christchurch; they were keen to see if precision agriculture could improve farming systems in China, especially around water quality and efficient water use.

He says farmers have a responsibility to make sure people are well informed and he doesn’t miss an opportunity to dispel misinformation that is fuelling an urban-rural divide.

Mackenzie also chairs a new Government technical group to advise politicians about smart ag. The group met for the first time last month.

He will be making regular excursions off farm for that and flying around the world on behalf of the Global Farmer Network making sure food producers, no matter where they live, can farm for the future.

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Farming

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Taking pride in their land The Mt Somers farming community provided an “eyeopening” look recently at the work farmers are doing to improve their environment.

Members of the Ashburton Water Zone Committee, Ashburton District Council and Environment Canterbury toured three farms in the area and met with landowners and lessees to see the work they had been doing and hear their views on how they are meeting good management practices.

The group visited a deer and beef farm owned by Michael and Nicky Salvesen to discuss farm management and compliance as well as discuss the impact and practicality of rules on farmers.

The farm is located in the Upper Hinds/Hekeao Plains area and under the Hinds Plan Change is required to reduce the impacts of farming activities on water quality.

They then visited two wetland projects by neighbours David and Rosemary Morrow and Charles and Elspeth Jaine which have received

funding from the zone committee’s Immediate Steps Fund.

Environment Canterbury councillor David Caygill said it was great to see farmers, landowners and lessees working to protect and preserve the environment.

“I was interested in the contrast in approaches. Some ‘fence now, plant later’, some ‘do it once, do it right’. But all are making a positive difference.”

The experience has led him to think more about the Resource Management Act. “No matter how long you work in a legal framework you always learn from talking to people on the ground about the actual situation they are dealing with,” Caygill said.

Ashburton Water Zone Committee chair Bill Thomas said the field trip was an “eyeopener” for the committee.

“It is fantastic to see what the three families have done with riparian planting and the really good thing is that all three farms have already been working on their projects for a significant length of

time as part of their farm management.

“While it’s very satisfying to see first-hand where the zone committee’s Immediate Steps funding has been used successfully, it has to be remembered that the land owners are themselves the real contributors,” Thomas said.

Ashburton District councillor Stuart Wilson agreed.

“It is quite remarkable seeing what the funds provided by the zone committee have helped achieve.

“The four landowners we

visited are farming in an area that has an effect on water quality that extends much further down country than just the immediate location of their properties. [Visiting these sites] reinforced to us that most farmers take pride in how they regard the stewardship of the land they occupy.”

The field trip also offered the opportunity to newlyelected district and regional councillors to see the work happening to improve the environment. Environment Canterbury councillor Cynthia Roberts, who sits

on the Hurunui Waiau Zone Committee said it was great opportunity to see how other water zones were working.

“There’s nothing better than getting out of the office and onto the farm to improve our understanding of the challenges around implementing environmental rules and good management practices.”

The Ashburton zone committee is keen to see more farmers get involved in environmental projects and encouraged those interested to apply for Immediate Steps funding.

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Rain on the plain all-important winters is the same reason for very low groundwater levels in 2016-17, compared with periods of normal or above average rainfall. The low levels are clearly illustrated (in the graph above) in the water Tony Davoren

HYDRO SERVICES

Good journalism requires an impartial presentation of the facts. A recent TV article regarding the Selwyn River was not entirely true.

The reasons for low river levels in the foothills rivers and streams has little to do with the rainfall that falls in the Alps and everything to do with the rainfall that falls on the plains.

A recent TV exposé about the Selwyn River began in a very bad manner. It was not at all impartial and mis-represented where the recharge for the foothill rivers and streams (like the Selwyn, Hinds and to a lesser extent the Ashburton) comes from. The exposé alluded to all the rain that falls in the Alps didn’t make its way to the sea.

Not surprising really, these rivers get very little “recharge” from the west but depend on those SE storms that dump rain and/ or snow on the plains. ECan explains that clearly on their website; ie “dry conditions, and particularly the lack of rainfall over the past three winters, is the main reason why the Selwyn River (and the Hinds etc.) is low and popular spots like Coe’s Ford are dry.”

We also accept extraction for irrigation also contributes to the low levels, but the lack of rainfall is the overriding cause.

The same lack of “plains” rainfall over the last three

“

May and June) have water levels been above 25m below ground level – the level that will sustain the use (irrigation) and natural recession in the groundwater and keep the level above about 34.5mbgl.

The exposé alluded to all the rain that falls in the Alps didn’t make its way to the sea

level plot for monitor bore L37/0022 near Pendarves.

The last three winters have not returned water levels to a level that can is sustainable for irrigation. Not since the winter of 2013 (very wet in

Relief has begun with significant rainfall in March – in places 60-70mm. While that is good news we need at least five times that before September to raise water levels to a happy level.

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Resource use compromising Mary Ralston

FOREST AND BIRD

Water is one of the top topics in the news these days. We can’t go for long without hearing about the pros and cons of water use for irrigation schemes and water bottling plants and the low flow levels in rivers.

Several water-related news items have caught my attention. One was the OECD (Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development) report on New Zealand’s environmental performance and another, not unrelated, was the news that Fonterra has reported a slightly stronger half year profit as it puts a bigger proportion of milk into higher value products. This is good news for dairy farmers and New Zealand as a whole as it demonstrates that we are

capable of producing “added value” goods rather than mere commodities.

The OECD report is less cheering. It states that it is time for New Zealand to “decouple” our economic growth from ever-increasing resource use. We are, it says, nearing the environmental limits of economic expansion based on natural resources (especially water, soil and fossil fuels). The government’s business agenda of doubling agricultural exports by 2025 is at odds with a clean environment: achieving such growth has been at the cost of rising greenhouse gases and a dismal record on water quality.

Freshwater management is highlighted as a major issue in the report. New Zealand’s nitrogen balance deteriorated more than in any other OECD country between 1998 and 2009, and water quality continues to decline in many areas. The government’s financial and other support for irrigation and intensive agriculture, ahead of environmental standards being in place to protect water, puts

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further pressure on our rivers, streams and aquifers.

So, if we’re on the wrong economic track, what should we do? In the farming sphere,

Fonterra’s increased profit from value-added products should give us a clue. We need to use our precious water and other resources more selectively to

produce high-end products.

Value-added exports mean we can have our cake and eat it too – have less irrigation and fewer cows, but if we make more

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our national environment We have a stunning landscape – our resource use is compromising our natural environment, according to a new OECD report.

money from each litre of milk we can more than compensate for the lower production. And then we can keep more water in the rivers and aquifers to

improve our environment.

High-end tourists willing to spend lots dollars a day for the privilege of time in our stunning landscape should

be our goal for tourism, New Zealand’s other big money earner. Slow tourism – fewer people staying in each place for longer – will earn us more

and be less carbon-intensive than the masses of low value tourists in camper-vans who make up a big proportion of our current visitors.

It will also be better for our regions: at present the average visitor stay on the West Coast is only one night. It would be great for the local economy if they slowed down and stayed for a week to really get to know the unique character of the area.

The OECD report also identified that commercial water users are not paying society for the private benefit they derive from New Zealand’s clean water. It recommends that irrigators and water bottlers should be paying a resource rental for the water they use that could go back into maintaining and improving the quality of our rivers, lakes and ground water.

Sensible stuff. Let’s just get on with it.

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Canterbury North/Otago Share Farmers of the Year Christopher and Siobhan O’Malley. PHOTOS SUPPLIED

Canterbury North/Otago Dairy Trainee of the Year Ben Haley.

Canterbury North/Otago Dairy Manager of the Year Kerry Higgins.

Dairy award winners thrive on a challenge A former adventure tourism guide and former secondary school teacher were named as major winners in the 2017 Canterbury-North Otago South Dairy Industry Awards and both say they thrive on a challenge.

Chris and Siobhan O’Malley were announced winners of the region’s share farmer of the year competition recently and will go on to represent the area at the national awards in May. The other big winners were Kerry Higgins, who was named dairy manager of the year, and Ben Haley, dairy trainee of the year.

The O’Malleys are sharemilking 515 cows on Graham Brooker’s 138ha farm in Ashburton. They entered the awards to give them an understanding of where they fit in the industry.

“The competition process created a focus for parts of the farm and business that we may not have been as energetic towards,” say the couple. With eight seasons’ experience in the dairying industry, they see their partnership as a strong foundation on which to grow their business.

“We have a common drive to succeed, we’re on the same page in regards to risk and we understand when the other is under pressure, which helps to share the load,” says Chris.

“It helps to have someone to enjoy the journey with.”

Prior to beginning his dairying career, Chris worked as an adventure tourism guide in the Abel Tasman, Taupo and Ireland. He has previously sailed across the Pacific Ocean

“

who sharemilks for Ken Riddington at Culverden and third went to Simon Clisby and Nadia Trowland, equity partners on James and Belinda McDone and Stuart Nattrass’ Culverden farm.

The winner of the dairy manager of the year competition, Kerry Higgins, is farm mangaer for Leon and Bronwyn Mckavanagh at Horarata.

Higgins grew up on a

The region’s dairy trainee of the year, Ben Haley, thought entering the awards would test his knowledge of dairy farming and push him in the right direction to further his career in the industry.

The 24-year-old has been in the industry for three seasons after spending 14 months as a station hand on a cattle station south of Alice Springs, in the Northern Territory of Australia.

We have a common drive to succeed, we’re on the same page in regards to risk and we understand when the other is under pressure, which helps to share the load

and was named the 2016 Mid Canterbury Rugby Referee of the Year.

Siobhan holds a Master of Arts in Classical Studies and a Diploma in Agribusiness Management, and was a secondary school teacher with a passion for English. The couple have three children aged five years, three and a half years and eight months.

Runner-up in the category was Tania Riddington,

high country station in the Mackenzie, and before first entering the dairy industry in 2011 held a variety of roles in the security industry, culminating as a Senior Parliamentary Security Officer. He is married to Anita and the couple have two children.

Bankside farm manager Russ Young was second and Emma Gibb of Culverden third.

He is currently farm assistant for the New Zealand Rural Property Trust on an 1100-cow, 300ha property at Ashburton.

Future farming goals include a promotion to second-in-charge and securing a management position in the next five years.

Runner-up was 24-year-old Ashburton second-in-charge Cheyenne Wilson, who works for Craig and Grant Fleming

on their 205ha, 780-cow farm.

“I enjoy challenging myself and the judge’s feedback gave me things to work on and points to consider,” says Cheyenne.

“I also enjoyed the opportunity to speak with industry leaders and rural professionals that I wouldn’t have met otherwise.”

Cheyenne keeps busy outside of farming as co-convenor for the Dairy Women’s Network Mid Canterbury region and is secretary of the Hinds Young Farmers Club.

“My ultimate goal is to own a farm which will give me the comfort of trialling new initiatives, while opening up an avenue to teach farming practices to younger generations,” says Cheyenne.

“I want to be fully involved in the dairy industry and be viewed as a Young Maori Female leader.”

Third place was 19-year-old farm assistant Luke Roberts who works for Thomas and Paul Kerr on their 170ha, 500cow farm in Selwyn.

Further details on the winners and the field day can be found at www.dairyindustryawards.co.nz.

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CANTERBURYNORTH OTAGO DAIRY INDUSTRY AWARDS The Canterbury-North Otago Dairy Industry Awards winners’ field day will be held on: • Thursday, April 6 • 1847 Thompsons Track RD 2 Ashburton Where share farmers of the Year, Chris and Siobhan O’Malley, sharemilk.

Also presenting at the field day will be the region’s dairy manager of the year, Kerry Higgins, and dairy trainee of the year, Ben Haley.

Farm manager Kerry Higgins (left), share farmers Christopher and Siobhan O’Malley and trainee Ben Haley are off to the national finals in May.

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Practical outcome for silage wrap Waste silage wrap from farmers is making its way to Auckland where a new processing plant is turning it into UV-resistant plastic plywood.

Last year plastics recycler Astron Plastics installed equipment that shreds, dry cleans and pelletises used silage wrap. Astron then uses the pellets to make Tuffboard, a plywood replacement product that has a variety of uses on farms.

New Zealand’s nationwide on-farm recycling scheme, Plasback, provides the silage wrap that Astron reprocesses.

Plasback then completes the loop by marketing the Tuffboard that Astron produces from it.

Astron Plastics business manager Steve Mead says the cost of installing the dry cleaning machinery needed to recycle silage wrap was about $1 million

The pellets of waste plastic are extruded into sheets of Tuffboard. PHOTOS SUPPLIED

and it would not have been possible without a significant grant from the Ministry for the Environment’s Waste Minimisation Fund.

Plasback worked closely with Astron to secure the grant from the Ministry, and Mead says Plasback’s support was a catalyst for the project.

“The dry cleaner uses heat, centrifugal and mechanical

After it is cleaned the silage wrap is turned into pellets.

action to clean the shredded plastic. Once it has been cleaned it is turned into pellets, which can be used to produce a variety of products. We are now mainly extruding it into the sheets, which Plasback markets as Tuffboard.”

Mead says the plant, dedicated to waste silage wrap, has the capacity to process

2000 tonnes a year. In the initial stage, production will be limited to about 200 tonnes of silage wrap a year and the balance will be other hard to recycle soft plastics such as used shopping bags and milk powder bags.

Plasback manager Chris Hartshorne says he is very pleased with the new processing plant, which means

more of the waste plastic generated on New Zealand farms is processed here rather than sent overseas.

Hartshorne says another benefit of the Astron plant is that it reduces the cost of collecting silage wrap. To ship waste silage wrap overseas, Plasback has to bale it and then containerise it. To supply Astron, the collection bags full of silage wrap are put into 40ft containers and trucked to Auckland without baling.

Farmers can buy the Tuffboard that Astron produces from recycled silage wrap direct from Plasback or through rural retail suppliers.

Canterbury pig farmer Simon Oxby uses Tuffboard to build all the sow stalls and fences on his property. Oxby says Tuffboard is easy to clean and whilst pigs will literally eat wooden plywood they leave Tuffboard alone. It is also UV stabilised so it will not break down over time.

Recycling silage wrap is the latest chapter in Astron’s extensive history of recycling New Zealand’s used plastic.

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What happens to our waste/rubbish Sheryl Stivens

MASTAGARD ASHBURTON

One thing we all have in common is rubbish – despite our best efforts to totally reduce waste there are always some things we cannot recycle.

So where does it go?

The Kate Valley Landfill, located within coastal hilly country approximately 10km north east of Amberley, is a far cry from the old style dumps which were unlined and often located near rivers.

Kate Valley is jointly owned by the Canterbury councils including Ashburton District Council and Canterbury Waste Services Ltd. Around 410 hectares of the 1000 hectare site has been set aside in a protected conservation covenant and planted in native trees and wetlands.

How does a modern landfill work?

Rubbish is trucked to the landfill from across the region and is compacted into special cells lined with thick plastic liners made from recycled plastic bottles.

Any liquid or leachate is pumped through a leachate system into tankers and taken to the Bromley sewage treatment plant to be

processed and cleansed.

The methane gas collected from the site is also collected and converted into fuel to power the machinery onsite.

Any excess energy produced onsite in the future will be converted to electricity for use by houses in the area.

We can be assured that this is a safe place to send waste for disposal and that one day the site will be mined or excavated

and the resources recovered.

This is already happening in some parts of the world.

Adidas is making swimsuits with recycled ocean plastic Adidas has teamed up with Parley for the Oceans, an environmental incubator and non-profit committed to reducing plastic waste in the

oceans, to create the first line of swimwear made entirely from used fishing nets and debris from coastal areas.

The process of turning ocean debris into synthetic material is actually quite simple. Debris can be converted into econyl, a type of “upcycled” yarn that has all the same properties as traditional nylon, without the environmental footprint.

Just imagine that one large

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fishing net can be turned into more than 1000 swimsuits.

Turning debris and other dangerous materials into sustainable and reusable products is not only important for ocean creatures, but for humans, as well.

An estimated 57,000-135,000 whales are entangled by ocean plastic each year, according to the World Society for the Protection of Animals.

17

But even more dangerous than the large debris entrapping whales is the debris that’s nearly too small for the eye to see.

The war on plastic The United Nations has declared war on plastic.

The goal is to eliminate major sources of pollution, including microplastics in cosmetics and single-use disposable plastics,

by pressuring governments and individuals to rethink the way goods are packaged and their own shopping habits.

Scientists say that the equivalent of a dump truck load of plastic is deposited in the world’s oceans every minute, and this quantity will only increase as consumption and population grow, too.

By 2050, it’s said there will be more plastic than fish in

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On the campaign website, people can commit to certain actions to combat their personal plastic pollution, such as not using disposable grocery bags, bringing their own coffee cup, avoiding cosmetics with microbeads, and pressuring firms to reduce excess packaging.

The campaign’s press release says it will make announcements throughout the year, highlighting advances made by countries and companies to reduce disposable plastics.

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A remarkable industry...

Chris Murdoch

PROPERTY BROKERS

The other night a colleague of mine, Gareth Cox who also sells rural real estate in the central Canterbury, and I decided to be a sponsor for the Canterbury/North Otago Dairy Industry awards which were held in Christchurch at the Wigram Air Force Museum.

We both derive a large portion of our income from this sector of rural New Zealand and decided it would be great to put a little back.

What impressed us about the night was the calibre of the contestants that were prepared to bare their souls to the judges and have their businesses looked over and gone through with a fine tooth comb. There were three categories competed.

In the share farmer of the year first place went to Christopher and Siobhan O’Malley (Ashburton), second place to Tania Riddington (Culverden), and third place

Simon Clisby and Nadia Trowland (Culverden).

The dairy manager of the year was Kerry Higgins (Hororata), with Russ Young (Leeston) second and Emma

Gibb (Culverden) third.

Dairy trainee of the year was Ben Haley (Ashburton), with Cheyenne Wilson (Lowcliffe) second and Luke Roberts (Lincoln) third.

The standard of all the contestants was obviously very high and we congratulate all those that took part. The big thing for me was to see how the dairy industry as a group are prepared to work together to get their young talent to work for and achieve excellence in their industry.

It seems that the farm owners, employers and employees are prepared to work together with the common goal of helping those who are prepared to help themselves, something that allows everybody within the industry to “win”.

When I look at all this I truly wonder why we struggle to find young New Zealanders prepared to work in the dairy industry because any young person who shows any sign of being prepared to work hard and push forward can do really well for themselves.

There is also a huge number of volunteers prepared to help and pass on their knowledge.

This truly is a remarkable industry where anything is possible if you are prepared to work!

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Four days of action and fun

By Linda Clarke Canterbury Rural Women NZ is planning four days of action and fun around the region next week, including a cook-off between five district mayors on Ashburton’s main street.

Ashburton mayor Donna Favel will join mayors from the Waimate, Mackenzie, Hurunui and Timaru districts in a challenge to cook the contents of a mystery box they will be presented with on the day.

The mayoral cook-off is part of the inaugural Canterbury Rural Women Week. Margaret Chapman and Bev Bagrie, who are part of the organising team, said the four days of activities included fun, fitness, education and even a men’s dinner, with guest speaker former All Black Richard Loe. Chapman said women were the backbone of many rural communities and next week was about celebrating that as well as raising the profile of the organisation and increasing membership.

Mid Canterbury has four

branches with another 12 scattered throughout the rest of Canterbury. All branches meet on a regular basis for events, learning opportunities and for social interaction. At a national level the organisation advocates for rural communities for better services and support.

Chapman said the organisation had been around for 92 years, supporting rural communities in times of stress and disaster as well as celebrating rural folk.

Rural women in general were the glue of rural communities, she said. On the farm they often did the finances as well as the farm work, raised families and were active in their local communities.

Chapman, along with her husband Graham and son Phillip, own a sheep and beef farm at Kakahu, near Geraldine, and Bagrie and her husband Lindsay own a dairy farm at Hinds with daughter Jo as the sharemilker.

In good times or bad, rural women were usually the volunteer instigators of

PROGRAMME Canterbury Rural Women Week Programme Monday, April 10 How to keep kids safe with dogs, Geraldine, 11am Trip to the Ngati Moki Taumutu Marae, Lake Ellesmere

Rural Women Margaret Chapman (left) and Bev Bagrie are planning to have some fun next week.

PHOTO LINDA CLARKE 230317-LC-004

community events, Bagrie said.

Activities during Canterbury Rural Women Week are not just for members though, they are for all women, of all ages.

And the overall theme of the event is strengthening rural communities.

Chapman said two important sessions during the week were aimed at teaching preschoolers to be safe around dogs. In Geraldine, Pauline Blomfield author of the book How To Keep Kids Safe With Dogs will give a talk about the simple rules kids need to follow when they are around

dogs. A talk on canine safety will be held in Ashburton at one of the vet clinics for local pre-school children.

Fitness is also a feature of the week with a bike ride from the Ashburton bridge to Lake Hood and a walking adventure around Methven.

Another group will visit Lake Ellesmere to talk about water and the environment.

And there will be shopping opportunities, with 14 businesses in Ashburton and Geraldine on board with discounts for the week.

The men’s dinner was a chance to share good company.

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21

It takes a special skillset to present a farm Plenty of competition in the Mid Canterbury rural property market.

Susie Williams

PGG WRIGHTSON

Competition in the Mid Canterbury rural property market is growing. We now have six mainstream operators marketing local farms, providing farmers with plenty of choice.

Anyone thinking about taking their farm to market needs some criteria when deciding who to engage to sell it.

Any salesperson will offer an appraisal, which is their estimate of the value they believe they can achieve for the property. They should also provide a marketing proposal, outlining how they will present it for sale, and how much that will cost. Beware of an appraisal promising a

high value, particularly when accompanied by a budget rate marketing campaign.

A good salesperson will present his or her experience and company background, relevant sales and prices, a fee structure, and current market information.

It takes a special skillset to present a farm.

That includes the ability to assess a property around irrigation and water consents, farm environment plans, nutrient inputs, pasture development, stocking rates and supplementary feed requirements. Access to irrigation planners, technical field representatives and stock agents is a plus. Any salesperson who can assist a vendor to present the farm’s full business case will stand the best chance of achieving the optimum price.

Selling a farm is a different proposition to selling residential property. When marketing a farm, you are likely to have no more than six to 10 realistic potential

buyers in total and for some farms, when you take a buyer in to inspect the property, it can take the whole day. Then, in many instances, once the farm is signed up for sale, the purchaser may need up to 40 days’ due diligence: 20 days to do their own homework, and possibly another 20 for their bank to run its own process.

As anyone selling a farm is working on commission and going through the process in

the hope that there will be a pay-cheque at the end of it, doing it successfully requires a strong measure of patience.

Once you have selected a salesperson, expect detailed and regular communication covering who has shown an interest or inspected the property, what feedback they gave, and what other local sales have been made, or are in process, if any.

At PGG Wrightson Real

Estate, we strongly believe we have what it takes to achieve the best outcome from a farm sale. However, competition only makes us stronger.

Anyone who is selling rural property in our region at present has the capacity to shop around and should exercise that.

Susie Williams is Mid/South Canterbury Sales Manager for PGG Wrightson Real Estate Limited.

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There’s gold in those vines Maurice Myers

KPMG

Some of you may be aware that the kiwifruit harvest is about to start for the 2017 season; you may also recall the PSA bacterial disease which is specific to kiwifruit and which hit the industry severely back in 2012. This resulted in severe financial stress and a number of growers exiting the industry. How times have changed.

Many of us will be conscious of the tremendous health benefits of the fruit.

I must offer my heartiest congratulations to Zespri on achieving their 20th birthday since commencing back in 1997.

In those 20 years total sales have been in excess of $21 billion and they are expecting to more than double annual

sales to an estimated $4.5 billion by 2025.

Even then this only amounts to 0.22 per cent of the globally traded fruit.

Zespri is on a roll and with some justification. Last year’s harvest saw in excess of 130 million trays, exported to 53 countries and Zespri International alone accounting for more than 30 per cent of this global value.

As it stands at present Zespri International is the world’s largest marketer of Kiwifruit. This is no small feat to achieve such phenomenal growth in a relatively small space of time.

Traditionally I have been a great fan of the green kiwifruit but that was only until the sweeter, juicier golden kiwifruit came on stream in 2012.

Ten years ago financial returns were between $2430,000 per hectare but growers are now achieving $50,000 per hectare or approximately $5.30 per tray.

Compare that with the

premium growers of the gold cultivar which can now achieve up to $8 per tray.

It is fantastic to see the industry establishing licence links in Italy over the next three years which will create a further 1800 hectares on top of the 850 hectares already

Up to your eyeballs in farm work.

coming on stream increasing volume by a further 15 million trays annually. Japan is the largest exporting country followed by China and Taiwan.

However in a change with tradition, the first of the estimated 46 refrigerated chartered ships for the season,

would sail to China from the Port of Tauranga indicating the significance of this substantial untapped market.

For those of you, like me, that enjoy the sweeter, juicier golden kiwifruit cultivar. I am looking forward to this seasons harvest coming south.

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EARTHMOVING FEATURE

Responsibility for safety falls back o Whether you own a farm or manage it, you are responsible for the health and safety of everyone on the property, this includes contractors and selfemployed operators, not just employees.

While everyone has a responsibility to work safely and identify and report hazards, someone still needs to manage and coordinate the overall health and safety programme – and at the end of the day the buck stops with you.

Contracting the job out is not always the easiest option - it doesn’t remove your overriding obligations when it comes to health and safety.

And there’s not only contractors or self-employed personnel to consider.

Visitors also need to be kept safe on the farm.

Health and safety regulations also extend to family members, including children.

The Department of Labour offers the following advice: Take all practicable steps to ensure that no contractor,

subcontractor or employee of a contractor is harmed while doing any work for you.

Check that contractors or

self-employed workers have systems in place to manage their own health and safety requirements. For example,

using protective clothing or using scaffolding instead of ladders when required for health and safety reasons.

Ensure only authorised people have access to the workplace, and that they are made aware of hazards, or

Dairy Farm Conversions | Lane Capping| Grading | Tree and Stump Removal Effluent Ponds | General Earthworks| On Farm Screening Truck and Trailer Units available| Loaders | Shingle Supplies| Logging

Phone 027 254 0407

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EARTHMOVING FEATURE

25

on farmers HOW TO MAKE YOUR EXPECTATIONS CLEAR ■■ Clearly outline in writing what you expect on your work sites by including health and safety expectations in any agreements with contractors.

■■ Develop a health and safety checklist for contractors. All contractors coming on to your property for the first time should read, sign and date the checklist before starting any work.

■■ Ask contractors and self-employed workers for a written overview of their health and safety systems. The responsibility is on all parties involved to take care.

■■ Review any health and safety issues after a contractor’s work is completed to determine what, if any, improvements can be made.

■■ Make staff aware that they share responsibility for the safety of friends or family visiting the farm.

provided with appropriate supervision.

Check that all parties know how take responsibility for

reporting any hazards they become aware of and know the appropriate person to report to in your business.

■■ Signs can be useful to help visitors understand the risks they may face but don’t rely on them. It’s more important for you to manage both hazards and work activities to prevent harm to visitors.

We have over 16 years of experience supporting the local agricultural industry providing services that include: • • • •

Covered shed clearing Soak holes Driveway preparation Trenching

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0274 58 2000

ben@ktscontracting.co.nz

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Site scrapes Post hole augering Concreting

KT’s CONTRACTING

10 Line Road, Methven

2 26

Farming

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EARTHMOVING FEATURE

Health and safety – the legalities As a principal to a contract, you are liable for the health and safety of contractors under the Health and Safety in Employment Act 1992.

If you fail in your duty the Act provides for substantial penalties.

If you are in business and contract people or businesses to do work for you, then you will have duties as a principal under the Act. Putting work out to contract doesn’t remove your health and safety obligations.

You cannot pass on a legal duty that falls on you as an employer, a person in control of a place of work, or a principal in terms of the Act. The aim of the Health and Safety in Employment Act 1992 (the Act) is the prevention of harm to people at work or as a result of work activities.

To do this, the Act places a range of duties and responsibilities on people in the workplace to manage hazards and ensure work is done safely.

The Act creates a duty requiring principals to a contract to take “all practicable steps” to ensure contractors, subcontractors and their employees are not harmed while undertaking work under the contract. www.business.govt.nz/worksafe

Mark Love

excavation contractor Rakaia

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EARTHMOVING FEATURE

27

Serious about shifting dirt Nick and Hoss own and operate Yeatman Brothers Limited and are the fourth generation of their family to provide contracting services.

The company employees Jason, Richard, George and Ben Yeatman, are the fifth generation. Skills are Yeatmans biggest asset, training and qualifications come before shiny new equipment.

Yeatmans offer heavy haulage, equipment rental and earthworks services throughout the South Island.

Yeatmans are located at Henderson’s Road, near Hinds.

The premises has 700 square metres of workshop space, to maintain their fleet and provide a repair and maintenance service for customers.

The most recent addition to the fleet is the second WABCO 333 FT motor scraper.

This machine was imported from Australia and rebuilt in the company workshop.

With 30 cubic metre capacity, weighing 60 tonnes and with 1000 horsepower on

tap Yeatmans offer the two largest and most powerful scrapers in the South Island.

Being twin powered elevating scrapers means the Wabco 333 FT can self-load, in steep and tough conditions that normally require multiple plant items.

No waiting for dozer to push load or the other scraper to push- pull with.

The fleet consists of the two 333 FT, two 18m3 222g’s, the two 8m3 101f motor

scrapers, a 40 ton D8H dozer, a 30ton Komatsu rubber tyred dozer/compactor, the 40, 20, 12, 3 ton excavators, a 20 and 10 ton grader, a 15 ton loader, a 13 ton vibrating roller, a water cart, and tip trucks.

Yeatmans do all types of rural earthworks, these include but are not limited to, track, pond, and building site construction.

All types of land development, including urban subdivision, land and

forestry clearing, irrigation, drainage, conversion and river protection.

The heavy haul fleet consists of a C500 Kenworth which is a heavy haul specific tractor with a 120Ton gross combined mass, it can be coupled to the 16 wheel load divider and 24 wheel widening transporter (4.5 x 11 metres) for loads up to 65ton.

Also available is the lighter and more economical 3 rows of four transporter (2.8 x 9

Meters) for loads up to 24 ton.

Yeatmans also provide load pilots for their own fleet and anyone else wishing to move oversize equipment or loads.

Yeatmans offer serious earthmoving, heavy haul, workshop, and fleet rental capability, operated by the people who own the machinery, providing their customers the best job, at the right price, when and how they want it.

Advertising feature

Yeatman Brothers Yeatman Brothers Ltd Ltd With a commitment to providing top quality services to it’s customers, With a commitment to providing top quality services to it’s customers, Ashburton earthmoving company Yeatman Brothers Ltd sets performance Ashburton earthmoving company Yeatman Brothers Ltd sets performance benchmarks others to aspire to. benchmarks others to aspire to.

Nick andYeatman Hoss Yeatman are following a familyoftradition of contracting in started Canterbury started their Nick and Hoss are following a family tradition contracting in Canterbury by their greatby grandfather. great grandfather.

Yeatmans provide bulk earthmoving, and earthwork construction services with a fleet of 6 Wabco elevating scrapers, ranging from 1000 200 hp and other equipment, including excavators, rollers, Yeatmans provide bulktoearthmoving, andancillary earthwork construction services withdozers, a fleetgraders, of 6 Wabco & watercarts deliver on grade, anywere, everytime. elevating scrapers,compactors ranging from 1000 toto200 hp on andtime, other ancillary equipment, including excavators, Yeatmans offer arollers, comprehensive heavy&haul service with transporters up toon 65grade, payload, and full pilot service. dozers,also graders, compactors watercarts to deliver on time, anywere, everytime.

Yeatmans members New Zealandheavy Heavyhaul Haulage Association, and are also a RCNZ Registered Yeatmans alsoare offer a comprehensive service with transporters up to 65 payload, and Contractor. full pilot service.

Yeatmans are members New Zealand Heavy Haulage Association, and are also a RCNZ Registered Contractor.

Hoss 027 474 5474 | Nick 027 474 5243 | office@yeatmans.co.nz | www.yeatmans.co.nz

Hoss 027 474 5474 | Nick 027 474 5243 | office@yeatmans.co.nz | www.yeatmans.co.nz

2 28

Farming

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Avoiding the autumn staggers This autumn is proving to be particularly problematic for laminitis and ‘staggers’!

This is because it has been such a damp, drizzly Autumn with consecutive days of zero sunshine. In these conditions clover rockets out of the ground pretty well everywhere.

Be proactive and take steps now to avoid horses and ponies having episodes of either!

There are two causes of staggers 1. Mineral imbalances caused by rapid grass growth especially after a drought-breaking rain and a drop in night time temperatures.

Particularly susceptible are animals who go into autumn already malnourished having had inadequate supplementation of various minerals including salt, calcium and magnesium.

2. Mycotoxins – Lolitrem B is produced by the

blown staggers and its really obvious, there are hundreds of mild to moderate cases with maybe just a touch of these symptoms like ‘stumbling over nothing’ and ‘knuckling over’.

Jenny Paterson

“

How to prevent laminitis and/or ‘staggers’

BSC ZOOLOGY AND BIOLOGY

Fungi in general tend to produce myco-toxins in autumn.

endophyte in perennial rye grass especially late summer and autumn.

Fungi in general tend to produce myco-toxins in autumn. You will see the moulds forming on the manure and the mushrooms popping up. These are the times it is beneficial to add an effective toxin-binder to your horses feed.

For every extreme case, where the horse develops full

•

Avoid having your horses eat any new fresh green shoots which spring from the ground after a drought breaking rain.

• Feed adlib hay in slow feeder hay-nets, soaked and double bagged for metabolic or overweight individuals • Keep your horses wellnourished with all their minerals including salt means they are far less susceptible to such issues with the grass.

It is essential to add salt to their feeds rather than relying on a salt lick.

For more information on what to do visit www. calmhealthyhorses.com

SIGNS OF STAGGERS Muscular weakness, giving out in HQ Heavy on the forehand Looking like they’re drunk ‘Plaiting’ front legs Standing base wide Hypersensitive to noise The ‘Zonked look’ (Sleepy eyed) Difficulty - walking downhill - backing up ■ Stumbling over nothing ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■

SIGNS OF LAMINITIS ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■

Tender on hard ground or stones ‘Pinking’ of the laminae Walking slowly and stiffly Hardening of the crest Obvious digital pulse Shifting weight from foot to foot

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29

Agri-tourism the new money-spinner While the pastoral sector collectively dominates New Zealand’s export earnings, tourism is charging hard on its heels and some farmers have found ways to combine the two to enjoy the best of both sectors’ success.

With many New Zealand farmers enjoying ‘office’ views that many would only dream about, it has proven a natural step to open that view up to visitors who will gladly pay to share with them.

Both islands of New Zealand are dotted with enterprising rural tourism farm ventures enjoying New Zealand’s time in the tourism sun. Trophy hunting, caving, rock climbing and mountain biking are some of many catering to tourists’ needs, and providing a valuable boost to traditional pastoral farm incomes.

Bayleys national country manager Simon Anderson said the combination of potential tourism dollars and a farm’s setting was an added bonus for farmers when they were considering selling their

property, or wanting to tap into a growing opportunity.

“And those opportunities are making themselves seen in places that in the past may have been seen as off the traditional tourist routes.

“

Trophy hunting, caving, rock climbing and mountain biking

Farmers located along newly developed cycle trails in areas like Otago have found a ready market for tourists wanting to sample life on a New Zealand farm during their trip.”

Colville farming couple Roy and Kaye Ward managed to expand the income from their Kairaumati Hereford stud farm by building a farm café business that has an emphasis upon locally sourced ingredients. For their “Hereford ‘n a Pickle” café that

comes right down to using the Ward’s prime Hereford beef in their sausages, burgers and salamis.

Today the café generates income that almost exceeds the farm’s, and can support the next generation of Wards on the remote Coromandel farm.

On the opposite side of the coast north western Waikato farming couple Anne and Philip Woodward’s underground caves proved an income bonus as business above ground on the farm got tougher. Today the couple in Waikaretu Valley capitalise on the property’s beauty above and below ground, including a café and accommodation and function centre.

Tourism Export Council chief executive Lesley Immink said the council had businesses operating farm and rural stays, or specialising in agricultural tours, alongside high profile operations like the Agrodome and Walter Peak Station.

“And as world leaders in agricultural technologies and food production more inbound business are being asked by

leisure, corporate and export sectors to include visits to appropriate universities, farms and companies.”

She said word of mouth between travellers about New Zealand’s high quality food meant many were wanted a “gate to plate” experience when they got here.

An ANZ AgriFocus report late last year on agritourism viewed the influx of international tourists as an opportunity to showcase the broader food and beverage sector.

Over a quarter of the international tourists visiting New Zealand in 2015 visited a farm or orchard, and one in five visited a vineyard or wine trail. Chinese visitors in particular enjoyed going to a farm or orchard, with two thirds going to either or both.

The report’s authors found that with changes in how consumers purchase food and beverages, the ability to repeat purchase of local specialities and products once back home helped relive their holiday experience. For example a visit to a winery provides access to their email

address on a mailing list, and a direct link for future purchases.

They pointed to opportunities for farmers and growers to partner up with top accommodation providers giving options for eco-type accommodation experiences that help ease emerging capacity constraints at key times of the year when established options in tourist hot spots are already limited.

Simon Anderson said Bayleys regularly has agritourism ventures within agents’ portfolios, and regular enquiry from hands on investors keen to balance a pastoral income with tourism cash flow.

“Predictions are for tourist numbers to continue to climb over coming years. With increased pressure on the usual tourist attractions, we can see great potential for places that may have been less than well known in the past to expand as more tourists look to go off the beaten track.

There are some exciting options opening up for farmers which they may have never considered before.”

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2 30

Farming

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FERTIGATION FEATURE

Future-proof with fertigation Fertigation has helped farmers in Canterbury and Otago over the past 10 years grow better crops, improved pasture swards, reduced nitrogen leaching potential and save time.

With the irrigation season almost over, now is the right time to investigate how these farmers have been able to achieve these positive outcomes.

Reduced nitrogen leaching By applying Nitrogen “little and often” the pasture “N %” is reduced. For example a Hills Labs herbage test on pasture grown with urea applied at 65 kg/ha has N % at 4.5 - 5 per cent. By applying at same fertilsier via fertigation litte & often, the N % drops to 3.5 percent. This 22 per cent reduction in N content doesn’t effect milk production, it can enhance it.

The effect of this on pasture sward is fewer urine patches and dead patches as the nitrogen in the cows’ urine is reduced by 22 per cent, which reduces potential nitrogen leaching.

Better pasture sward As the grass is being fed every day, it grows at a constant rate, the clover gets more light and is able to compete with the ryegrass, which allows it to grow bigger and stronger.

Cropping farmers.

Fertigation allows fertiliser to be aapplied at the right growth stage, rather than when the truck can get over the crop.

Lincoln University says that each time a vehicle travels thru a crop, it can reduce the crop yield by 5 per cent. For a 20,000kgdm/ha crop that equates to $250 per ha.

Cost benefit analysis Fertigation systems investments can be from $3500 to $10,000. For example a $3500 unit will allow fertiliser to be applied over 100ha.

This investment can be repaid within one season.

Fertiliser applications 7 Cost per applictaion $8 Area covered 100ha Savings $5600 Add to this to extra yield

from no trucks going over the crop and the return on investment looks very positive.

So in summary, the benefits of fertigation are: 1. Reduced Nitrogen leaching on dairy and cropping farms.

2. Better pasture sward mix with increase clover content.

3. Better yields with no trucks in crops.

4. Nutrients applied to crops at the right growth stage.

5. No soil compaction from fertiliser spreaders.

6. Postive return on investment.

So what do you need to do to be ready for next season?

Give us a call and we will visit your farm to look at your irrigation system.

We will recommend what fertigation system would suit your farming operation.

We will provide training on how to use the system to get the most benefit from it utilising your existing fertiliser programmes and farming system.

10 REASONS TO ADD A FERTIGATION SYSTEM TO YOUR FARMING OPERATION. ■■

■■ ■■ ■■ ■■ ■■

■■

■■ ■■ ■■

Perfectly in sync with precision agriculture. Fertigation is all about precision—applying the precise amount of crop fertiliser injection and crop protection products at precisely the right times during the growing season. That’s a sound strategy for improving yields and ensuring crop health all season long.

Reduced fertiliser and chemical costs. With Fertigation, you can apply less crop fertiliser injection without sacrificing results, because you’re able to apply more precisely and completely across the field Versatility and flexibility. Fertigation systems are available for a wide variety of applications, crops, situations and products—and duplex can be used for a number of different products.

Improved effectiveness of inputs. Many crop fertiliser injection products have been proven to be more effective when applied through irrigation.

Simple, easy calibration. You don’t need an engineering degree to operate a fertigation system. Calibration is extremely easy, accurate, intuitive and repeatable.

Environmentally sound. Lower rates of chemical and crop fertiliser injection help you provide what your crop needs while reducing the environmental impact. With fertigation, there are other benefits of reduced drift and reduced labour and energy costs.

Uniform coverage. With a fertigation system, you get complete and uniform coverage across your entire field. No skipped rows. No “hot spots.” If it’s getting water, it’s getting fertiliser dispersed evenly and completely.

Improved safety. Handling of chemicals is greatly reduced with a fertigation system, so operator exposure is minimised and the chance for spills is diminished.

More timely than truck or aerial application. No more waiting for the applicator. Apply what your crop needs, when it needs it—and do it at a lower cost per hectare.

Cost savings year after year. Your one-time investment in a fertigation system pays you back application after application, field after field, season after season.

Get ready for next season Specialists in Fertigation systems and programmes.

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2 32

Farming

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Innovation in fuel storage Award-winning Ashburton business Sebco celebrates 10 years in business this month.

The business established

by Ed and Leah Harrison sells self-contained plastic fuel storage systems and the Sebco product range covers Diesel Stations, Blue Stations and Waste Oil Recovery Units. Their systems are market leaders, ensuring fuel is kept clean and pure for today’s hi-tech farm machines and trucks; the double-tank (bunded) systems also keep spills from contaminating the environment.

The fuel storage equipment has won innovation awards over the years and is popular with all types of farming and industry all over New Zealand.

Sebco products can be found on farms, contractors yards, vineyards, skifields, wharfs and various types of industry and trucking companies.

Ed says he and Leah are a great team – Ed runs the sales and production while Leah looks after the financial, business compliance and marketing. They are hands-on business owners working with

production team members Stephen Campbell and Craig Barnes.

The Ashburton company has built a reputation for quality with more than 2000 tanks installed for farms and industries around New Zealand, as well as in Australia and as a far afield as Uruguay.

Sebco celebrated its 10-year milestone at the South Island Agricultural Field Days over the weekend, the event where it all began in 2007.

Ed had been selling farm machinery when a casual conversation with a farmer friend in 2005 alerted him to changes in the Dangerous Goods Act affecting the bulk storage of fuel. New environmental rules meant tanks over a certain size needed to be contained and bunded to prevent spills causing damage.

Most farmers then kept their fuel in steel tanks, but many of these were rusting and prone to condensation that could contaminate the diesel.

Ed, with the help of

Ashburton-based RX Plastics, came up with a compliant, diesel-grade plastic solution that is now being used by farmers all over the country.

Sebco founders Ed (left) and Leah Harrison are celebrating 10 years in business this month.

PHOTO LINDA CLARKE 220317-LC-015

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